Durham Regional Police have apprehended Tarcia Craig Brown, a resident of Whitby, ON, on charges related to fraudulent activities in the travel sector.
Brown is accused of falsifying a Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) Certificate to secure employment at TICO registered travel agencies, where she allegedly engaged in fraudulent practices, reports TICO.
According to authorities, the investigation into Brown's fraudulent activities began in JAN 2020 when TICO alerted the industry about her alleged misconduct and the various aliases she had used at the time to gain employment.
The investigation determined that Brown had allegedly defrauded several travel agencies of over CAD $245,000 by engaging in a deceptive practice known as "kiting," reports CP24.
Kiting involves collecting cash payments from clients for vacations but failing to apply the funds toward the clients' trips. Instead, the perpetrator keeps the cash for personal gain, police said in a release.
Brown allegedly conducted this fraudulent scheme between 2011 and 2019, using a falsified TICO certificate and assuming over 20 different aliases while selling vacations. According to police, she owned her own travel business called "Travel Girls Inc" and claimed to specialize in group travel and destination weddings.
Durham Regional Police have charged Brown, 43, with multiple fraud-related offences, including fraud exceeding CAD $5,000, unauthorized use of credit card data, and forgery. She has been released on an undertaking, and the charges against her have not been proven in court.
TICO collaborated with Durham Police during the investigation.
In light of this case, the travel organization reminds travel agencies that TICO certification only indicates successful completion of the travel counsellor and/or supervisor/manager exams and is not indicative of past conduct. The Travel Industry Act, 2002, mandates that only businesses, not individuals, can be registered with TICO. Travel agencies are advised to exercise due diligence when hiring, including conducting background checks and reference verifications.
As the investigation continues, police are asking witnesses and other victims to come forward.
A list of the aliases known to have been used by the accused has been released, including Alora Tarcia Brown, Yania Amaya Tarcia Brown, and Naviya Craig Adolph.
Anyone with information is asked to contact D/Cst. Middleton of the Financial Crimes Unit at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 5321, or Crime Stoppers anonymously.
